Chapter 18 Violet #2
“How about Grammy?” Colt asked from over my shoulder. Dolly’s face turned towards Beckett, who was busy riding back and forth on a rocking horse.
“Of course. You know I love that name. I hope you’ll let the baby call me that too, Violet. You know you’ll always be family. Even after…everything.”
“I appreciate that so much.” I knew what Colt was doing. He was trying to give me the chance to tell them, all of his family, that the baby was his. But I couldn’t get the words out. I felt the heat of their stares all over my skin and I…just couldn’t.
“Well, dinner’s done. Why don’t we all head into the dining room and eat. We have so much to catch up on!” Dolly’s hands waved out in front of her, ushering her family towards the table.
“We do.” Colt chuckled, and I fought the urge to send my elbow into his side. “Just give me and Vi one minute, okay?”
All those eyes were back on me again. God, I couldn’t do this…
One by one, the voices faded into the next room. Colt’s hand landed on my waist, turning me so I was facing him.
“What?” I asked.
“You need to breathe.”
I blew all the air out of my lungs.
“You know,” he chuckled, “I was trying to give you an in there. I basically set it up perfectly for you to give the news.”
“I can’t,” I croaked, scared I might fall with how hard my legs were shaking. “I mean it, Colt. I…you’ve already done so much for me, been so understanding about this situation, but I can’t be the one to tell your family.”
He nodded, pressing a kiss onto the crown of my head. “Alright, sweetheart. I can do that.”
My whole body went gooey at the term of endearment. This man had always been my undoing, and it was clear my body hadn’t forgotten that.
He stepped back, slipping his hand around mine before pulling me into the dining room. I noticed three chairs were empty.
“Where’s Lachlan?” I asked.
“He’s at home. Like always.” Colt shrugged his shoulders.
I expected him to elaborate on that, only he didn’t. He took two more steps into the dining room, and froze.
“Violet and I have an announcement to make.”
My eyes went wide as I watched his family turn, stunned at his booming proclamation.
“I know you all can very well see that Violet is pregnant. And I know that you’ve been walking around me gently since she came back into town and I had my little breakdown.”
Breakdown? I squeezed his hand, and he dropped his gaze from his family to me. “I started to tell you…but after dinner, when we’re back home in bed, I’ll finish the story.”
His whispered words were loud enough for Jessie to overhear, and I watched as a smile spread across her face.
“Violet is pregnant with my baby. We’re both going to be parents.”
Beau stood up. His chair scraped loudly against the wood floor, and Colt’s hand tightened around mine.
“What are you doing?” Birdie hissed. “Sit down.”
“No.” Beau wasn’t answering her. I knew, because he was looking right into my eyes. He turned, storming through the kitchen. No one moved or made a sound as the back door slammed shut.
“Is there ever going to be a day in this family where everyone reacts normally to a pregnancy announcement?” Jessie mumbled, and I watched Danny’s face fall. There had to be a story there I wasn’t aware of.
“That’s why you asked me about being called ‘Grammy’?” Dolly asked. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize…”
“When were you back in town? You only saw Colt?” Jessie asked over her mother.
“No. I haven’t been back in years,” I admitted.
Colt cleared his throat. “Violet and I, when we went through IVF…There was an embryo left. Just one.”
“And at the time,” I continued, “after that last miscarriage, I was too heartbroken to keep trying. I was scared, and hurt, and I ran away from everyone and everything. I’m very sorry for that.”
Colt turned, his hand squeezing mine again in reassurance. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
I nodded, feeling the painful sting of tears hit the back of my eyes. “In the divorce, Colt signed over custody of the embryo to me. And I kept paying for the clinic to store it, all these years.”
My finger brushed at the tear tracking down my cheek. I didn’t want any part of this beautiful miracle to feel embarrassing. But with nearly every member of the Ford family looking at me in disbelief, I couldn’t help but feel that way.
“And this year, turning forty, I just knew I had to give it one more go.”
“But Colt didn’t know.” It wasn’t a question from Hayes.
“No. I didn’t tell him. I didn’t tell anyone.
I couldn’t.” My voice got stuck in my throat.
It took everything in me not to let the anxiety that was constantly humming through the back of my mind come out.
A deep breath and a moment of staring down at the floor—or trying to, while really just weirdly eyeing my belly—seemed to help.
“Honey, you don’t have to explain a single thing to us.
We’re welcoming a new member into our family, and we’re getting an old one back.
I’m thrilled.” Dolly stood from her chair and wrapped me in her arms. “I know it must have been so scary to go through these last months by yourself. But you’ve got us now. ”